Mumbai: A new year brought out a new roster of young talent to watch out for. On April 13, as Grazia India celebrated its sixth anniversary with ‘crazy, sexy, cool’ party, they also hosted the graduation of a new lot of Grazia Young Fashion Award winners. The evening awarded nine designers and four fashion favourites over cocktails, bites and a perfect playlist.

A luminous gathering honoured a bunch of talented designers at The Leela, Mumbai, as a year’s worth of research and judging came crashing into a spectacular celebratory party, which included a brilliant musical performance by Anushka Manchanda.

The Grazia Young Fashion Awards are an annual property hosted by Grazia India, picking exceptional talents in the field of fashion and style. Besides the eight categories that recognise great work in fabric innovation, accessory design, creative labels etc, there was also a group of glamorous popular awards, to highlight stylish trendsetters.

The designer awardees are chosen over months of deliberation from a distinguished panel and the Grazia fashion team. This year’s panel included Sangita Sinh Kathiwada – Propreiter Melange, Sabina Chopra – Fashion Entrepreneur, Tina Tahiliani – Owner Ensemble, Aparna Badlani – Owner Atosa, and Anjana Sharma –  COO, Stylista.com from Mumbai and  Sujata Assomull – Entreprenuer and fashion journalist, Sunil Sethi – President, Fashion Design Council of India, and Asha Baxi – Ex-founding Dean, NIFT, Fashion Design, from New Delhi, as well as the Grazia Fashion Team.

In addition to the nine designers who took home trophies, the winners also included an exclusive selection of awards, the Grazia Cover Girl of the Year, Sonam Kapoor, Grazia Face of the Year, Shraddha Kapoor, ONLY Model of the Year, Archana Akhil Kumar, and Grazia Showstopper of the Year, Lisa Haydon.

Amid the Awards ceremony, the night was truly about fashion, as ONLY presented a fashion show showcasing the best of their spring summer collection. The focus lay on the emergence of two key trends, the return of 90s grunge and a laidback spirit of bohemia. Both were beautifully amplified by a selection of high-street picks.

The evening saw a massive turnout from the fashion and glamour quarters of the city, from the Indian fashion fraternity, Mumbai’s glamorous best, Bollywood, and the who’s who of the corporate world.

The evening’s Presenting Sponsor was ONLY; Hair Styling Partner – TRESemme; Eyewear Partner – Vision Express;  Hospitality Partner –  The Leela, Mumbai;  Joyride Partner –  Vespa;  Dessert Partner –  Magnum; Footwear Styling Partner –  Tresmode; Beverage Partners –  Sula Wines, Budweiser and Stoli;  and Gift Partners – Colorbar, Tart, Fantasie Fine Chocolates,  Spa la Vie by L’Occitane and Calvin Klein Fragrances.

The winners of the GRAZIA YOUNG FASHION AWARDS 2013 were:

1. Indie Cool

Vrisa by Rahul & Shikha Mangal

2. Label Alert

Selvage by Chandni Mohan

3. Urban Wear

Mrinalini Gupta

4. Innovation in Fabric and Texture

Swati Kalsi

5. Best Accessories, Bags

Square Loop by Kanika Sachdeva

Best Accessories, Shoes

AKA Bespoke by Aeiman Jarwala, Karan Berry, Ateev Anand

7. Best Accessories, Jewellery

Akaliko by Tehzeeb Merchant

8. By Popular Demand

Nikhil Thampi and Nishka Lulla

 

1. ONLY Model of the Year

Archana Akhil Kumar

2. Grazia Showstopper

Lisa Haydon

3. Grazia Face of the Year

Shraddha Kapoor

4. Grazia Cover Girl of the Year

Sonam Kapoor

Source: Lokesh Shastri